The cabinet that will win the election for the ANC in the Western Cape

The cabinet that will win the election for the ANC in the Western Cape

28 July 2000

The ANC shares with the public and political observers the sense of deflation about the announcement of the new cabinet for the Western Cape. After hyping it up for more than a month, the Premier announces a cabinet that will be a great asset to the ANC in the forthcoming election.

In this day and age, on the southern tip of Africa, the NNP-DP Coalition announces a cabinet which perpetrates white domination and privilege (through 7 posts), shows a decrease to 4 in the number of Coloured ministers, and a complete absence of any black Africans. On top of that, only 1 woman sits on the cabinet - and Leon Markowitz looks after gender! What a joke!

In effect this means that issues of concern to black Africans will remain neglected as we already see through 4 months of taxi violence, and generally that the poor will suffer while the Western Cape government protects white privilege.

The ANC feels vindicated about the sacking of Freda Adams. We raised the allegations of financial mismanagement against her, we insisted on the investigation, we know that the Premier has the report - and the fact she is sacked tells us that the Premier is now convinced that she is guilty after protecting her for months.

Mark Wiley was not pushed. He was stabbed in the back by Premier Morkel at the behest of the DP who now increases its power, and continues to control over 60% of the overall provincial budget. The ANC was right. Hennie Bester wanted this portfolio and fought Mark Wiley for it. Wiley lied when he tried to blame Minister Steve Tshwete for his resignation. We know that his bitterness is, in fact, directed at Gerald Morkel and Hennie Bester.

This Western Cape government remains fundamentally unstable, and it is a pity that the people of the Province continues to suffer while the NNP and DP fight about a crucial portfolio like Safety and Security. It sends a signal that this portfolio is a political football. The real winners are those who kill commuters and bus drivers, those who rape women and children, those who rob the poor and those who hijack motorists. Nothing about Hennie Bester suggests that he can do anything about this situation.